ALL-ACTION MIDDLEWEIGHTS
(#8) JARED CANNONIER AND GREGORY RODRIGUES
HEADLINE AT UFC® APEX
UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a thrilling middleweight matchup featuring No. 8 ranked contender Jared Cannonier facing off against Gregory Rodrigues. In addition, No. 10 ranked featherweight Calvin Kattar and Youseff Zalal lock horns.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: CANNONIER vs. RODRIGUES takes place Saturday, February 15 in Las Vegas and will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will air at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET, followed by the main card airing at 4 p.m. PT / 7p.m. ET.
UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Former title challenger Cannonier (17-8, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) returns to action looking to impress. In his decade long career, Cannonier has solidified his spot amongst the best at 185-pounds by defeating former champions and top contenders such as Anderson Silva, Sean Strickland, and Marvin Vettori. He now sets out to spoil Rodrigues’ night and kickstart another run at UFC gold.
Brazil’s Rodrigues (16-5, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. With half his Octagon wins coming by knockout, Rodrigues has wowed fans with highlight finishes against Brad Tavares, Denis Tiuliulin, and Chidi Njokuani. With his sights now set on Cannonier, Rodrigues aims to deliver another unforgettable finish and position himself for a big 2025 season.
Top ranked contender Kattar (23-8, fighting out of Methuen, Mass.) looks for a statement performance. A staple of the featherweight division, Katar has solidified his spot in the Top 10 by delivering wins against Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige, and Jeremy Stephens. He now sets forth to halt Zalal’s rise and recapture his momentum.
Zalal (16-5-1, fighting out of Casablanca, Morocco by way of Englewood, Colo.) takes on the biggest challenge of his young career. Currently on a six-fight win streak, with each of those coming via knockout or submission, Zalal has turned heads with recent wins against Jack Shore, Jarno Errens, and Billy Quarantillo. He looks to maintain his finishing streak and break into the division’s rankings.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- No. 13 ranked strawweight Angela Hill (17-14, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Clinton, Md.) faces Ketlen Souza (15-4, fighting out of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil)
- Dana White’s Contender Series middleweight contract winners Edmen Shahbazyan (13-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) and Dylan Budka (7-4, fighting out of Baltimore, Md.) square off
- Jared Gordon (20-7 1NC, fighting out of Astoria, Queens, N.Y.) and Kauê Fernandes (9-2, fighting out of Rio de Janiero, Brazil) meet in a lightweight bout
- Dana White’s Contender Series featherweight alumni Connor Matthews (7-2, fighting out of Mattapoisett, Mass.) and Jose Delgado (8-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) battle for their first official Octagon wins
- Top 15 bantamweight contenders No. 12 Julia Avila (9-3, fighting out of Oklahoma City, Okla.) and No. 14 ranked Jacqueline Cavalcanti (8-1, fighting out of Almada, Portugal) are set for high stakes matchup
- Highly skilled grapplers collide as Rodolfo Vieira (10-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) squares off with Andre Petroski (12-4, fighting out of Philadephia, Penn.) at middlweight
- An intriguing lightweight contest sees Dana White’s Contender Series signees Ismael Bonfim (20-4 1 NC, fighting out of Brasília, Brazil) and Nazim Sadykhov (9-1-1, fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y. via Baku, Azerbaijan) meet
- Flyweights Rafael Estevam (12-0, fighting out of Macapá, Amapa, Brazil) and Jesus Aguilar (11-2, fighting out of Tijunana, Mexico) look to steal the show
- Gabriel Bonfim (16-1, fighting out of Brasília, Brazil) meets Rinat Fakhretdinov (23-1-1, fighting out of Saransk, Mordovia, Russia) at welterweight
- Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Billy Ray Goff (9-3, fighting out of Groton, Conn.) goes toe-to-toe with Nikolay Veretennikov (12-4, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) at welterweight
- Heavyweights Valter Walker (12-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Dana White’s Contender Series signee Don’Tale Mayes (11-7 1 NC, fighting out of Louisville, Ken.) are set to deliver fireworks
- Vince Morales (16-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. By way of Ontario, Ore.) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series alumni Elijah Smith (7-1, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.)
For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change.
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